Communication Technology: The Iphone 8

1034 Words3 Pages

Technology molds its way into peoples’ lives and daily routines. It has turned away from being a material object and has become a human’s best-friend. From consuming people of all ages and weaving itself into many lives, technology even presents addictive qualities. In 2007, Apple invented the iPhone. The latest version is the future iPhone 8, which is said to be released in September 2017. By learning about the Communication Technologies and Functions of Media in Everyday Life perspectives, one can become more media literate about the upcoming electronic device. The aforementioned is achievable through analyzing the iPhone 8’s contents and its various personal uses which alter entertainment habits, change the interaction between members of …show more content…

The iPhone 8 will alter the way people spend their time. With new features, designs, and uses, the device is likely to increase the timespan in which people use the device. Displacement can lead to social cocooning where people build technological, personal bubbles. If many people buy and use the iPhone 8, social cocooning may increase and social interaction will likely decrease. However, a prominent effect of media is narcotization. The media is like a drug. Usage of the iPhone 8 can become addicting as people constantly want more. The new device can alter entertainment habits as people want better visuals and attention-grabbing news stories. People want to feel excited when using new media and technology, just like how a drug …show more content…

This perspective involves increasing awareness of how people use media and its contents to meet personal and social needs. Author Ien Ang explains this perspective in relation to media audiences in her work, “The Nature of the Audience.” Her uses and gratifications theory explains how people use media to satisfy their desires. The iPhone 8 succeeds in fulfilling this role. The new medium allows users to become cultured and informed from new forms of consumption, find advice and answers, and learn new information. It will allow for people to identify with others who hold similar beliefs. People will be able to relate to friends and family members, gain insight into others’ lives, find topics to discuss, and fit-in. The new media will provide for entertainment, whether it be relaxation or filling time. Lastly, it allows for personal expression and a “commodity self.” However, in a consumerism-driven world, this is not the main goal.
Companies advertise and sell products to consumers who keep purchasing and buying to please their own desires and needs. As Julia T. Wood states in “Gendered Lives,” “Media encourage us to consume” (Wood 280). “Advertising and Consumer Culture,” author Douglas Kellner explains this notion as a “commodity self.” People form their own image. Here, advertising shapes personalities around products people identify with (Kellner 1). Wood further mentions

Open Document